


We're Going to Need More Diapers

by rangersandlegends



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, pregnancy fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-14 05:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14763189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rangersandlegends/pseuds/rangersandlegends
Summary: Iris and Barry knew they were going to have kids eventually, but are they really ready for all that it entails?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before the season finale, so it's slightly off-canon.

Iris moaned into the toilet. Why did this have to happen today? It couldn’t have waited until tomorrow or the next day? She knew, of course, that these things were on a monthly cycle. So she continued losing her dinner into the toilet bowl.

Usually, Barry would come and check in on her periodically when she had her period. It wasn’t unusual for the cramps to make her throw up. That had been true even when they lived together as teens. Barry had always been attentive, but now that he was her husband, he was even more so.

Today, however, that attentiveness was less than she would have liked. She knew he had to be at work longer than usual. Ever since reclaiming his job at the CCPD, he had made proving his worth to Singh a priority. He had gotten into the habit of working ten or eleven hour days, and didn’t come home for lunch. She knew how important his job was to him, but between that and his time at STAR Labs, it felt like she rarely saw her husband.

She felt a rush of air push her hair back, and there was immediately the sensation of someone rubbing her lower back.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. They found a body in the river. But I got mint chip in the freezer and picked up some more bath bombs.”

“Who was it?”

“Who?”

“The body, who was it?”

“Oh, it was a suicide from last week. We matched him to missing persons.”

“I’m glad his family got closure.”

He continued rubbing her back as she dry heaved. It had never been weird, him seeing her like this, even when they first started dating. She had seen him at his lowest after his mother was murdered, so it was only fair he see her during her time of the month.

“Do you need me to run out and get anything else?”

“No, just want you.” She finally turned to face him. He smiled at her. Even when she was half-awake on the bathroom floor, hair in a messy bun, wearing an oversized flannel, she still made him smile.

“Want your heating pad?” He had her routine down pat.

“No, I can barely feel the cramps.”

His brow furrowed. “That’s weird. Usually when you throw up-”

“I know. But I’m not complaining.”

“Okay. I’m off to STAR Labs. If you need me, text me.”

He gave her a quick peck on the lips, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

She threw up the next day. That had never happened before. No cramps, and two days of barfing? She grabbed her phone to update the app she had for this very purpose.

“That can’t be right,” she said out loud. Because it couldn’t be. Her app, which had never failed her, indicated she should’ve gotten her period eight days ago. And, throwing up aside, she still hadn’t gotten it. She was late.

She tried taking deep breaths. This could mean anything. It could be a biological quirk. The app could be wrong. Or she could be….no. That wasn’t possible. She and Barry were always careful. But that wasn’t a guarantee.

Before she could begin spiraling, she texted Barry that she needed him. He was there the moment she hit send.

“Are you okay? What happened?” He had an adorably worried look on his face.

“I need a favor.”

“Name it.”

“I need you go to the drug store and pick up, um, some pregnancy tests.”

She couldn’t read his expression. It seemed like Barry had stopped functioning. “You’re...you’re...”

“I don’t know. That’s why I need the test.”

“But you’re on your period.”

“No, I thought I was. I’m actually not. I’m late.”

“Okay, be right back.”

Before she could blink, he had a plastic grocery bag in his hand. He held it out to her, and she took it to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting on the couch with her husband, hands clasped.

“Do you want them to be positive?” she asked.

“We know we want kids.” She nodded. “So it’s just a matter of timing. And it’s not the perfect time.”

“Will it ever be?”

He smiled at her. “No, it won’t. But we still have a lot to talk about if they’re positive. How we’re going to go about things, what changes we’ll have to make.”

“Yeah,” she said softly.

“What about you?”

“I don’t know...I kinda...I kinda want to be pregnant.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I mean, with both of us restarting our careers, it’s not a great time. But it won’t get easier when either of us get promoted. Or when another supervillain comes to town. Or when my sister’s older. Now seems as perfect as we’re going to get.”

They continued to sit with the thought of being parents, until Iris got up to check the tests, Barry in her wake. She flipped over the first one to find a smiley face. Positive. The next one. Positive. The third, fourth, fifth. All positive.

She turned to face Barry, and he pulled her to him in a bone-crushing hug.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispered in his ear.

“We’re having a baby,” he whispered in return.


	2. Chapter 2

Iris awoke, not for the first time, in a hospital bed. This one was familiar: the med bay at STAR Labs. Barry was sitting in the chair by the bed, holding her hand. He was in the Flash suit, his cowl down. Caitlin was off to the side, working at her desk.

“What happened?” she asked her husband hazily.

“You passed out while I was on a mission. I caught you.” Of course he did. Since she had gotten pregnant, Barry had been scary aware of her. He could sense her presence in other rooms, guess her mood from just as far, and predict her movements. They had chalked it up to some weird hormonal thing. If she had passed out while he was out in the field, it only made sense that he would be here before she hit the floor.

“What about the Trickster?”

“He didn’t hurt anyone.” Iris glared at him. “But he did get away.

“We’ll talk about that later, mister.” He knew how she felt about putting her above the needs of the city. She turned to her friend. “Caitlin, what’s the diagnosis?”

“You’re severely undernourished.” Not enough to eat? 

Barry laughed. “Iris has been eating her fair share lately, trust me.” She swatted him with the arm not currently hooked up to an IV.

“Hey! I’m eating for two.”

Caitlin smiled sympathetically. “I want you to track absolutely everything you eat for the next three days. Calories, too, if you can keep track. I have an OB/GYN friend from school I’d like to compare notes with.”

Iris was concerned. “Should we loop in Dr. Schaeffers?” She wanted to keep her own doctor up to date.

“Let’s start with baby steps, no pun intended. I don’t want to alarm him.” Iris nodded, but that sent a wave of dizziness through her. “But I do want to keep you here overnight just in case.”

Overnight observation? Was there something Caitlin wasn’t telling her?

“Is that really necessary?” Barry asked, echoing Iris’ thoughts.

Caitlin turned to Iris. “How often do you feel weak or dizzy?”

Iris shrugged. “A few times a day, I guess.”

“Iris, why didn’t you tell me?” Barry asked with hurt in his eyes.

“I just figured it was normal. It didn’t seem like a big deal.”

Caitlin took her hand. “If this isn’t a one-time thing, I’m going to want to run some tests.”

“You have to give us something here, Caitlin,” Barry pleaded.

“I don’t want to make any diagnosis until I understand Iris’ caloric intake, and we’ll go from there. For now, Iris needs her rest.”

Iris smiled up at Barry, needing to reassure him. She honestly felt fine, and she knew through some unknown maternal instinct that the baby was fine. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

He ran his gloved fingers through her hair. “Of course. No place I’d rather be.”

Caitlin went off to one of the sleeping quarters, saying she’d check in every few hours and have access to all Iris’ vitals in her room. Barry flashed back to their place to get some comfy clothes and helped her change around the IV the best he could. Then, despite the confines of the twin bed, he snuggled up close to her, one arm around her shoulders, and one hand on her stomach. It was easy to fall asleep.

She dreamt she was running. Sometimes she swore she could still feel the remnants of the Speed Force coursing through her system, leftover from one too many speedster adventures. Whether it was running with Barry, or on her own, venturing into the Speed Force itself, or having Barry touch her and slow down the world, she had had her fair share of speed. It was overwhelming, and her dreams were simultaneously awe-inspiring and fear-inducing. She understood why she was Barry’s lightning rod; to run without end was infinite and frightening. 

This time as she ran, she could see the lightning trail she left behind. The purple she recognized. The yellow was new. She didn’t have yellow lightning; that wasn’t hers to control.

“Sweetheart?” Something broke her stride. “Iris?”

She awoke to Barry nudging her. “You need to wake up.”

Right. She was in the medbay at STAR Labs. Barry was still in bed next to her, but he scrambled off as she came to. Caitlin came into her vision, holding a stick, which she handed off to Iris.

“Put this under your tongue.” A thermometer. “And I need to get your blood pressure. Can you sit up and put your feet flat on the floor?”

Iris complied, not without Barry’s steadying hand. Once the pressure cuff was set, Caitlin grabbed the thermometer from her mouth, and barely glanced at it.

“You’re running a bit warm, but that's not unusual during pregnancy. If I give you a set of disposable thermometers, can you take your temperature a few times a day?”

Iris simply nodded. Something beeped, and the pressure on her arm disappeared. “Lower than I’d like, but still within the normal range.” Caitlin began digging around in her drawers, finally producing a cylindrical container. “Think you can help me with a urine sample?”

Iris held out her hand for the cup. Caitlin detached her from the IV, and bound up the crook of her arm. “Barry, can you come with me?”

Barry, to his credit, didn’t blink. “Of course.”

Once they had left the med bay, Iris turned to Barry. “Don’t you think Caitlin is overdoing it? Pregnant women get dizzy spells all the time.”

Barry grabbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, but you were out for a while. It was more than a dizzy spell, Iris.”

“But overnight observation? Urine sample?”

“I’m glad Caitlin is being thorough. This way we can be sure it’s nothing.”

“You’re right, hon. It’s just...is this the way it’s going to be for the next seven months? Constant tests, the poking and prodding?”

“I know it sucks-”

“Do you?” Iris snapped.

“I may have never been pregnant, but I’ve been on the receiving end of Dr. Snow’s tests. It can be a lot.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Hormones.”

He winked. “Worth it. Don’t worry, we got this.”

Two weeks later, it became apparent they did not have this. Iris’ fainting spells had become more frequent, her temperature was higher, and her blood pressure lower. She had ceased to have morning sickness, but that was the least of her problems. Caitlin had looped in her medical school friend, who was an OB/GYN. Caitlin, Barry and Iris all went to an appointment in her office. 

“Have you had your first ultrasound yet?” Dr. Chase asked Iris.

“No, I thought it was too soon for that.”

“It is, but in this case, it’s necessary. We might not be able to see much, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

Iris rolled up her shirt, and Barry tucked it around her so it would stay up without assistance. Dr. Chase made the obligatory mention that the gel would be cold, before slathering it over Iris’ abdomen. Then she began moving her wand around. Barry and Iris looked at the screen expectantly, but there was nothing there that remotely resembled a baby.

Caitlin and Dr. Chase exchanged glances. They seemed to have a whole conversation without speaking. Then Caitlin nodded.

“Congratulations, West-Allens. You’re having twins.”

Twins?!? Two babies? Barry gave Iris a panicked look, which Iris knew she was mirroring.

Barry was the first to find his voice. “Twins? Iris...we’re...twins?”

Caitlin smiled. “Two heartbeats. There’s not a lot to see, but that much is clear.”

“Does that explain the symptoms I’ve been experiencing?” Iris really hoped this was the missing piece of the puzzle. She could deal with it if it meant things were normal. But Caitlin and Dr. Chase looked at each other again. 

“It explains some of them, but not all. There are some more tests we can run,” Caitlin reassured. It wasn’t reassuring. “The main takeaway is there’s no evidence the babies are anything but healthy. In the meantime, we’ll keep up the increased vitamin intake and bedrest.”

Ah, yes, bedrest. It was Iris’ least favorite part of this whole process. She had set it up with her editor to work from home, and spent almost all day on the coach. Barry insisted on speeding back to the loft anytime she got up, meaning she couldn’t stretch without texting him. At first, it had seemed over the top, but since she tended to pass out doing anything more extreneous than sneezing, it now seemed well-advised. Still, she thought this appointment would give them more answers.

Barry drove them home so she could get back to laying around. The last two weeks had seen their car get more mileage than it had gotten in years. Usually, Barry was her transportation. But they had both decided it probably wouldn’t be best in their predicament. Still, she missed it. It was part of their lives.

Once they walked into the loft, Barry ran his hands through his hair nervously. “So...twins.”

“Yeah. Pretty hard to believe we got twins without even trying. But we always said we wanted two kids.”

“We also talked about an age gap. I mean, we’ll have to start saving for college as soon as possible. And probably get a new place. And-”

She hooked her hands behind his neck. “Babe, I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. We have enough to worry about without thinking about all of that.”

“Right. You need to be resting.” He unclasped her hands and began to lead her to the couch.

“Actually, I was thinking...what if we went for a run?” The curiosity in his eyes immediately turned to worry. 

“Iris, we’ve talked about this.”

“I know, but I miss running with you. And I technically wouldn’t be expending any energy. I would just be holding you while you did all the work.” And she pouted, a strategy she rarely employed, but was one hundred percent effective.

“Fine. A quick run around the city, not too fast, no phasing.” She grabbed hold of him, and they were off.

It only lasted a few seconds, but it was exhilarating. She felt energized, and better than she had in weeks. And hungry. Very hungry.

“Babe, you know that pizza place in Keystone?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you get an extra large with pineapple and olives?”

Barry laughed, but she didn’t. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“I think I’m having my first craving. Weird, right?”

“Anything for you.” He pecked her lips and returned with a pizza box.

She devoured it. It tasted just right, even if Barry refused to touch any of it. She was able to eat the whole thing.

“Man, I haven’t eaten like this since college.” She giggled nervously.

“Iris, you never ate like that, ever. That was a couple thousand calories, easy.”

“Okay, but it was so good. Totally worth it.” Then it hit her. She had eaten an entire pizza, all by herself. A pizza that should've served like six people. She was having twins in a troubled pregnancy and she was fat.

“You are most certainly not fat,” Barry assured her. “I don’t care how many pizzas you eat between now and the delivery, but we’re getting through this.”

Had she said all that out loud?

“I’m sorry, babe. I don’t…” and she began to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and began stroking her hair. 

“Shh, it’s okay. Your body is going through huge changes. I can take it. So if you cry, you cry. If you yell at me, I can handle it. You’re carrying our children, it’s the least I can do.”

“Okay, well, you’ve been warned.”

But Barry was true to his word over the next month. It was a lot of pizza, and crying, and running, so much running. It wa the one guarantee to make Iris feel better, even as she reached ten thousand calories a day. Caitlin had stopped instructing her to eat healthy, since Iris was eating constantly and gaining minimal weight.

It was a quiet night watching TV that changed everything. STAR Labs’ power couple took the night off for some quality time together. They were watching CSI, which Barry loved to comment on for its inaccuracies, when Iris had a thought.

“Are the babies going to be Allens or West-Allens?”

Barry didn’t even pause. “Well, they’re half you and half me, so West-Allens.”

“Half you and half me, huh? I hope they have your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

 

“You have such pretty eyes. And your height. Wouldn’t want them to be short.”

“Well, I hope they have your intelligence and strength to do what’s right.”

Barry gave her a dopey smile, and started playing with her hair.

“And your bravery,” Iris added. “Even if they’re not…”

“Not what?”

“Babies that are half you.”

“Of course they’ll be half me. That’s how this works.”

“No, babe, what if the babies are like you?”

“You’ve lost me.”

“I eat too much, I have to run, and I never have enough energy. Who does that sound like?”

“Me. Iris, you’re not making sense.”

“The babies are speedsters.”

Barry’s mouth fell open. “That’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

“You can’t be born a speedster. You need an insane amount of energy, like that found in a lightning strike. Plus the right chemicals that could combine with dark matter to alter DNA.”

“But your DNA is already altered. You’d pass that DNA on, and all they’d need would be the energy.”

Barry ran his hands over his face. “Twin baby speedsters?”

She bit her lip nervously. “I think so.”

“We’re going to need to run some more tests.”


	3. Chapter 3

Being pregnant is one thing, but being pregnant with superpowered twins? A whole other thing.

Iris could’ve told you before all this started that having speedster multiples would suck, but she didn’t know the half of it. The way Caitlin explained it, the twins needed constant energy to feed their meta cells and develop their powers. The more energy they got now, the faster they’d be capable of being. Cisco had designed prenatal shakes with thousands of calories. He claimed they were chocolate-flavored, but they tasted like chalk anyway. The shakes were considered too calorie-dense for even Barry.

She was getting used to her new normal, and then she blew up like a balloon. People knew she was pregnant now. Of course, the important people had already known. But now strangers were congratulating her. She thought they wouldn’t be if they knew how much it sucked.

With the increased energy input, she got off bed rest. Running with Barry helped. Caitlin hypothesized that the twins were absorbing the Speed Force when Barry took her into Flash Time, so they spent time there, too.

Spending time in Flash Time to just be was great for them as a couple. They had to be in constant physical contact, and there were no distractions. Barry didn’t want to wear her out, so he started with only a second in real-time. But once it became clear she was building up tolerance, he would let them stay there for up to half a Flash-hour. They’d mostly talk, about their respective days, about their favorite memories, about things they wanted for their growing family.

On one particularly romantic occasion, Barry asked her to dance. She reminded him Flash Time didn’t have music. He hummed the song they had selected for their first dance as husband and wife. She leaned in, as close as she could with the twins between them, and swayed. 

“We should go somewhere,” he murmured into her hair.

“I’m good right here.”

He chuckled. “I don’t mean now. I mean we should take a weekend and go somewhere. Where have you always wanted to go?”

“Paris,” she threw out, half-joking.

“Then we’ll go to Paris.”

And they did. Between Flash Time and normal time, they ended up seeing all the sights and still had some quality couple time.

“We should come back here one day,” Iris mentioned as they held hands, strolling along the Champs-Elysees. “After all our kids, however many there are, have grown up and moved on. Open another chapter in our life.”

He squeezed her hand. “That’s perfect. I can’t wait to see how much I’ll love you then.”

The bubble was broken upon their return to Central. There was a new supervillain on the loose, consuming more and more of Barry’s time. The Flash Time and runs became rushed necessities instead of time for them. Iris kept getting bigger, and, while her regular doctor saw nothing but good progress, Caitlin was concerned about the dark matter negatively impacting Iris as the babies matured. Iris wasn’t a meta, nor was she predisposed to be one. It made the dark matter dangerous for her. But Caitlin didn’t have a solution. The twins needed Iris, whether or not she was in danger.

It upset Barry. He couldn’t be there for his wife, and she was in danger because of his children. He started staying away, and Iris noticed. She wasn’t insecure in Barry’s love for her, but she still missed him.

“You don’t have to run off,” she reminded him when he got out of the shower one morning.

“Someone needs to monitor the satellite searches for dark matter spikes,” Barry said, not even looking at her.

“Pretty sure that’s Cisco’s job.”

“He’s out there, Iris, and we can’t be too careful.”

“If there’s a problem, Cisco will call you.”

“I’m sorry, Iris, I need to be there.”

“No, Barry, you want to be there. You need to be here. With your wife and unborn children.”

“I’ve already done enough, Iris.”

“You’re right, what’s done is done. Keeping your distance won’t help with the dark matter infusing my cells. But maybe sticking around will.”

“How?” He sounded so tired, so lost.

“It will give me more time with my husband. If my time is limited-”

“Iris-”

“-then I want to spend it together, as a family.”

He crawled into bed next to her. “The dark matter won’t kill you.”

“Maybe, maybe not. We have to admit it’s a possibility. And even if I’m not dying, I shouldn’t have to beg for you to want to spend time with me.”

“You’re right. I have the most amazing wife, who’s having my children. I am unbelievably lucky.”

They spent the day in bed, making up for lost time. Barry felt the babies kick, and didn’t understand how Iris could be so cool with the non-stop movement. But given enough time, anyone could get used to anything. Even hyper babies inside of you.

Barry told her things he had never told her before. What it was like in the Speed Force, what he thought he might’ve done in the Speed Force prison. He spoke to the twins, told them how much he loved them. Iris tried and failed not to cry when he did.

Iris got weaker as the dark matter concentration in her cells increased. Caitlin calculated it would have unknown consequences around eight months. They could induce labor earlier, but that wasn’t without its complications. Iris decided they’d face the consequences of taking the pregnancy to term. She promised Barry if she couldn’t handle it, they would induce labor.

The final few weeks were painful. Iris suffered nose bleeds, sensitivity to stimuli, and intense panic attacks. She couldn’t go outside unless Barry was with her, ready to take her into Flash Time at any point. Even then, she wore ear plugs and sunglasses. The nose bleeds were geyser-like in their veracity. But tampons were actually an excellent solution. 

These were minor inconveniences compared to the panic attacks. It felt like she was dying; it wasn’t physical pain, but extreme loneliness and cold. Caitlin checked her out the first few times, and found nothing medically wrong with her. She couldn’t prescribe an antipsychotic, so Iris did her best to tough them out every few days.

Barry did what he could, when Iris could stand the smell of him. Iris said the panic attacks were better when he was there, but better than what, he didn’t know.

Caitlin performed a battery of tests every day. The twins were healthy, which was all Iris cared about. Pregnant women had gone through the gauntlet since the beginning of time, and she was just one more. Until Caitlin pulled her aside after another round of tests. 

“There’s a new side effect to the dark matter.”

“Please tell me I get super powers like Cecile did,” Iris joked.

“Not exactly. The highest concentration is in your reproductive system.

“So I have a super powered uterus?”

“No,” Caitlin said sadly. “The side effects so far have been temporary, and limited to the duration of the pregnancy. But the damage to your ovaries is permanent.”

“Caitlin, what are you saying?”

“I’m sorry, Iris, but you can’t have any more children.”

Iris brought her hands up to her mouth. She decided to only focus on the now. “What does that mean for the twins?”

“From what I can tell, nothing. Their development remains normal. They’ll just be the only children you’ll have.”

The tears came to her eyes uninvited. Yes, she couldn’t wait until she finally gave birth to the twins, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to do this again. She did. She wanted to create more half-her, half-Barry people. She wanted to feel this amount of love for an unborn child again. How was it possible that this was it?

That night, as she finished her evening routine, she looked at Barry. He was child proofing the kitchen cabinets. All the parenting books said they had months until the kids moved enough to worry about cabinets, but he said he wanted to get ahead. He’ll never do this again, she realized. She sat down, burdened by the weight of the thought more than the weight of the twins. She watched Barry finish his work, before he came to join her.

“All done.” He leaned in for a kiss, but Iris turned away. “Okay, what’s up?”

“How many children do you want?”

“We said two,” a confused Barry responded.

“We said two to start. But how many do you want?”

“Iris, I’m not putting you through this again because I’m being selfish. Two wonderful children is all I could ever ask of you, and more.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

“Okay.” And then she couldn’t hold herself together anymore. The tears returned.

“Honey, what is it? Did you want more? Because of course we can have more-”

“No, we can’t.”

He tilted his head. “What?”

“We can’t have more children. These are the only children I’ll ever have.”

“Iris, I don’t follow.”

“I can’t have more children. My organs have been permanently damaged by this pregnancy so...no more babies.”

She was in his arms before she could blink. “Oh, Iris.” He carded his fingers through her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

It was hard to think of herself as barren when she was so obviously pregnant. But that’s what she was. Barry managed to make her feel less horrible, even as her nose bled all over his favorite shirt. They cried together for what could be, and focused on the amazing children there were only weeks away.


	4. Chapter 4

Iris woke up and knew. She woke Barry up and told him it was time. He sped her to STAR Labs, and quickly assembled her team. Caitlin was there for the delivery, and Joe and Barry were there for support/nursing duty. Since anything could happen at a speedster birth, they had decided beforehand no hospitals.

Once Iris was hooked up, Caitlin explained she probably had a couple hours until it was time to push. Barry sat with her in the meantime, doing his best to get her through the contractions. They sucked.

“I just want these babies out of me!”

“I know, sweetheart. Soon.”

“This is all your fault. You and your stupid sperm.”

“Yes, I know.”

She hadn’t complained the whole pregnancy, but this pain was just too much. “Do you know? You know what a contraction feels like?”

“No, I don’t. I’m sorry I’m causing you pain.”

“No, you’re not. You’ve been causing me pain my whole life. You went into a coma and I thought you’d never wake up, for nine months. You lied to me about being the Flash, got Eddie killed, and then left me for Flashpoint!”

“Iris, I-”

“Let me finish. You left me again for six months, and then you got our wedding invaded by Nazis! Just get out!”

Barry let Joe came in after that. He knew, of course, that she didn’t mean it. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. 

When it came time to push, though, she cried for Barry.

Iris was exhausted. It had been nine months of pain and hardship. She couldn’t push anymore.

“I can’t, Barry. It’s too hard.”

Barry pushed her sweat-soaked hair off her face. “Iris, you are the strongest person I know. No one is better equipped to do this than you. You can do this.”

And Iris pushed. “I can see the head!” Caitlin cried from the end of the bed. “Just one more big push.”

Iris turned to Barry. He simply nodded. For a moment, the world stopped. It was just her, her husband, and their babies. It would never be like this again. Now they would be a real family. So Iris pushed. She felt light-headed and dizzy, but she was half-way there.

“It’s a girl!” Caitlin announced, before Iris heard the most beautiful sound, a baby crying, her baby crying. Then the girl was in her arms.

“She’s perfect.”

Barry was beaming. “I love you so much.”

Then another contraction hit. Barry wordlessly took the girl from Iris’ arms. “I can’t push anymore, Barry. I’m done.”

“You know how perfect our little girl is? The next one is going to be just as amazing. Don’t you want to meet them?”

So Iris pushed. And then Caitlin was giving her a crying baby boy. A perfect baby boy. 

Caitlin took each baby one by one for tests, and was able to pronounce both babies healthy before letting Mom and Dad have time for themselves.

The twins wouldn’t stop crying and fussing. Iris had no idea what to do. She tried bouncing them, singing to them, switching off with Barry. Nothing. She was holding her girl when she felt the girl vibrate. It was barely perceptible, but she was definitely vibrating.

“Barry!” The girl was calming herself down. She stilled. “Did you see that?”

“She’s a speedster,” Barry said in awe, like they didn’t know it already.

The boy was still crying in Barry’s arms, until Barry began to vibrate as wel. The boy immediately calmed, then began vibrating himself.

“They’re fast learners,” Iris said through tears.

The babies fell asleep in their parents’ arms. “The first ever born speedsters,” Barry marveled.

“How are we ever going to raise them?”

“One day at a time, just like any other parents, I guess.”

“I can’t believe we’re finally parents.”

“Was it worth it?”

“Every minute.”

Barry and Iris basked in the glow of their children, glad that one chapter had closed and another one was beginning. A chapter that would be written by the first-ever children of the Speed Force. Their kids.


End file.
